3 tips for building the best foundation for yourself as a freelance conscious creative.

By Lauren McCrostie

The possibility of a future made from a ‘jug economy’ is becoming increasingly more apparent. No, it does not mean that we will become a jug-vase-carafe-urn-making state, but refers to a system where the workers are ‘juggling’ several jobs at once. These jugglers are not only well versed in a range of skills, but are also reigning in multiple incomes. Not your typical circus clown then, eh?

A juggler is not a new comrade to the office though; it is in essence a freelancer. More and more individuals are finding themselves transition to a new, diverse way of working. Having your fingers in many different pies is no longer regarded as greedy but an advantageous way of improving, skills and interests.

Creatives are drawn to this way of working, as the requirements of roles within the arts industry are both blurred and boundless - meaning skills are easily transferrable to other mediums. Being a freelancer often requires sprawling ones attention in multiple directions whilst playing multiple roles. All simultaneously and in a seamless fashion may I also add. Yet despite this ‘difficult’ many prove this practise possible, and do so daily.

Managing several jobs at once, however; balancing and updating ones working schedule as well as directing your own career path calls for a lot of focus and a lot of planning. Time discipline is a tool found consistently among successful freelancers and a must in ensuring a good foundation for yourself as a freelancer. Routinely reassessing how to best spend the hours in our working day is a productive task which breeds further productivity. But this kind of productivity is unlike other jobs’ simply squeezing more tasks per hour. It is rather securing work which showcases your voice and unique offerings. When looking for productivity tips, seek out those which help enhance your creative output, not your quantitive one. Copyblogger has some excellent resources, if you're interested.

1. MASTER THE ART OF "BALANCE"

Whether its opting to work away from home in a coffee shop or library; setting clear work/

life boundaries for yourself or religiously turning off your phone during working hours -

finding what fits into your life best and what juices the most positive, focussed, qualitative

work from you is infinitely beneficial.

2. FINE-TUNE YOUR PROCESS

Another key ingredient of creating the best foundation for yourself as a freelancer is to recognise the process of a job. Developing good creative processes is undeniably helpful in avoiding confusion and drowning under tasks. Within Creative, freelancing roles it is unusual to have easy systematic steps to follow so dissecting all the different stages and elements that make up a project allows you to manage tasks accurately and with greater confidence.

Breaking a larger tasks into smaller pieces of the puzzle enables you to clearly map out

and view the make up of a project. Recognising all its components allows for effective and

efficient management of them too as you can allocate the correct time and environment to

complete them in. Working this way settles any kind of frazzled feeling, and instead gives

a sense of ease with the knowing of what is coming next.

3. GET CLEAR!

The third and final pointer in maintaining a firm support for your work is finding clarity in your creative output and ensuring it moving you towards your goal. Doing this showcases how valuable career choices are and how advantageous they can be in feeding your bigger picture.

We all know freelancing can be testing at times, with jobs sparse and time even more so -

career paths and objectives fall on the way side as the need of income steps in. This is necessary in some instances yes, but taking too many of these jobs clouds your objectives as a professional. You loose sight of your values, dilute your beliefs and soon find yourself in a job producing insubstantial work with no interest. So reminding yourself constantly of your values, your mission, your want as a creative when taking on work as a freelance may seem a luxury at first but will only serve to help to enhance performance and drive you closer to your aim. Having a personal career strategy is a robust mechanism to employ into your work as it prevents this feeling of misdirection - it keeps you on the path you want and if completely correctly will lead to your greater goal. It is similar to recognising your like creative process in that its the encouragement of capitalising how you spend your time and how you create.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Freelancing is appealing to many as exercising multiple passions simultaneously obviously means work is likely to be more enjoyable and meaningful. Yet despite of all the benefits, it can become equally isolating, exhaustive and skew ones focus from their goal with the need of work. Take 2019 on wisely and start plying these methods into your professional life to build the best foundation for yourself as a freelancer.

Sustain your focus, vigilance, morals and mentality by taking the time to perform these three tips and you’ll be a happy bunny, for sure.

And don't forget to sign up to Novel Creatives today, it's an easy way to get your work seen by the clients you want to be working with.

---

#community #novelcreatives #creativefreelancer #solidfoundation